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Infrastructure year is finally here! The passage of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) will provide the Capital Region from Baltimore to Richmond with $18.25 billion over the next five years for investments in our transportation system, and more if we successfully compete for the $125 billion in nationwide discretionary grants USDOT will control.
In my previous post, I outlined 5 steps for the region to maximize our collective benefit from the large infusion of federal funding and speed up implementation of the Blueprint for Regional Mobility. The essential first step is ensuring our capital investment programs comprise projects that are “shovel worthy” – those that have strong returns on their investment, meet the national goals as articulated by Secretary Buttigieg, have begun initial engineering and design, and are moving toward construction. But the region should also identify worthy “stretch” projects – in other words, “shovel worthy” projects that are not yet viable for federal construction grants but could be competitive in the next five years with some initial plans, project specifications, and preliminary engineering reports.
Let’s explore some of the region’s “shovel worthy” projects that should be slam dunks and enter construction due to BIL’s passage, as well as some worthy “stretch” projects that need a little more TLC from our leaders to get moving.
1. Frederick Douglass Tunnel – Replacement for the Civil War-era rail tunnel between Baltimore and Washington, DC, a rail chokepoint and the second-highest priority project for Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor
2. Expanded American Legion Bridge – The region’s #1 roadway congestion point that wreaks economic havoc when it shuts down and has been in the queue for decades
3. Purple Line Light Rail – The Washington area’s first circumferential, inter-suburban light rail project that will connect Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland
4. Route 29 Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Enhancements and Extension to Columbia – Enhances the existing Flash BRT system by providing better bus prioritization and extending the route to Columbia, MD in Howard County
5. MD 335 and Veirs Mill Rd Flash BRT – Provides new rapid transit options between Upcounty (Montgomery County) and Bethesda and new east-west transportation options within the county
6. New K Street Transitway – Reconfigures one of the District’s major east-west corridors to improve mobility for bus riders, motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians
7. 11th St Bridge Park – The District’s first elevated public park that will span the Anacostia River
8. Long Bridge + Transforming Rail in Virginia Program Phase I and II – This historic rail deal between the Commonwealth, CSX, Amtrak, and VRE will deliver near hourly Amtrak service between the District and Richmond by the end of this decade and greatly expand VRE commuter rail service throughout Northern Virginia
9. Convert Route 1 to an Urban Boulevard in Arlington – Enhances access to key destinations and opens immense new development opportunities
10. 40-mile Regional Fall Line Trail – This $300 million regional trail will connect nine jurisdictions in Central Virginia, including Richmond, to healthy amenities and new commuting options
The BIL opens the door to new possibilities and should raise our collective expectations about what we can achieve in the near-term. The following projects are not yet ready to be competitive for construction dollars over the next five years, but with some attention and preliminary work, our transportation leaders could turn these “stretch” projects into “shovel worthy” ones.
1. Turbocharge the implementation of the Capital Region Rail Vision by:
– constructing four tracks between Baltimore Penn Station and Washington Union Station on MARC’s Penn Line that will reduce trip times and expand frequencies and reliability
– expanding capacity and frequency of service on MARC’s Camden and Brunswick Lines
– extending MARC and VRE service to Northern Virginia and Maryland, respectively
– securing construction funding for Phase I of the Washington Union Station expansion
– constructing a suite of projects to lower trip times between the District and Richmond by 30 minutes or more
2. Complete Northern Virginia’s Express Lane Network by extending it along the Beltway to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge
3. Expand Richmond’s Pulse BRT network with a new route running North-South through the metro area (stay tuned for more on this in January!)
4. Right-size unsafe urban highway intersections with complete street investments near Purple Line stations
5. Establish and execute a bold 10-year expansion program for the Baltimore metro area’s transit system, including a new east-west rapid transit option
6. Establish a new Potomac River crossing for WMATA Metrorail
7. Deploy a regional Bus Prioritization Program for the Metrobus Frequent Service Network
8. Build a Southern Maryland rapid transit option connecting to DC
9. Provide Seamless Fare Integration for all our public transit systems
10. Construct the 10 missing miles of the Baltimore Greenway Trail Network
11. Construct the 400 missing miles of the Capital Trails Network
12. Reconnect Our Communities by removing or capping over the Highway to Nowhere in Baltimore, Route 295 in the District, and I-95 in Richmond
A quick caveat: this list does not include all of the region’s “shovel worthy” projects, and all of these projects may not be feasible within the next five years. However, our elected officials across the region have the power — in concert with business, public sector, and community leaders – to determine our collective priorities and to work collaboratively and rise to the opportunity provided by the BIL to deliver a truly transformed, more connected, and more competitive transportation system in the next decade. Let’s get to work!
